


Unexpected Finds

by unapologeticallydorky



Series: Chronicles of the Lost and Found [3]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout - Fandom, Fallout 4
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, sorry gang, there's sweetness but no sexytimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 06:31:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13452501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unapologeticallydorky/pseuds/unapologeticallydorky
Summary: Sage and Hancock have been together a while now. Things seem great between them, but there's something unresolved. Unsaid. When work for the Minutemen takes them far south of Diamond City they come upon something no one could have expected: a young boy, locked in a fridge for 200 years. This diversion sends them off course and into more dangerous territory, and forces them to confront some things they may have been avoiding.





	Unexpected Finds

Sage usually did the talking at new settlements. Hancock was charming when he wanted to be but it was hard for a lot of people to get past his appearance. Being a ghoul came with its downsides. Sage could be just as charming, though, and usually was. It helped that she was so genuine about everything; she always wanted to know the people’s troubles and how she could help. It was one the many things Hancock loved about her.

The two of them had made the journey from Goodneighbor to Jamaica Plain. It had come over the Freedom Radio that the new settlement needed some help. Unfortunately, the message had been pretty vague. It was late afternoon when they got into town, coming in from the east. Hancock followed in close behind her. He never liked the idea of her being the one to head first into possible danger, but a lot of people would shoot a ghoul on sight. Best to let the pretty face be seen first. 

There was a guard post on the outskirts of the settlement. It looked sturdy enough and had decent positioning; that was a good sign. Whoever was manning it waved them down as they approached. Sage waved back with a sigh.

“That kid’s gonna get shot one of these days for being too friendly.”

“You’re one to talk.” Hancock said, giving her a playful shove. “Besides, at least some people out here still know how to be hospitable.”

The guard was a young man who looked barely eighteen, with black hair and brown skin. His leather armor fit loosely and the pipe rifle he carried looked like a hand-me-down. Sage was already making a mental checklist.

“Afternoon, ma’am! And… sir?” The boy called out. “You two from the Minutemen?”

“We sure are. Heard you guys might need some help.” Sage said. “What’s your name?”

“Joaquin. Just got here a few days ago.”

“Good to meet you, Joaquin. I’m Sage and this is Hancock.” She said, gesturing to her companion. “So, if you’ve only been here a few days, who’s in charge?”

“Oh, that’d be Nadia. She’ll probably be in the workshop.” He said, pointing to a blue building in the distance that was missing the front wall.

“Great, thanks. Hey, uh, can I see your gun for just a sec?” She asked. Joaquin hesitated for a moment but he passed it over. Sage looked over it carefully, noting each dent and rust patch. She shook her head, set down her pack, and dug out a similar rifle.

“Listen, this is the same kind of rifle you have here, but it’s actually been properly maintained. I want you to hold onto mine ‘til I can this one fixed up for you. When there’s time I’ll help you with weapon maintenance, okay?” The young man’s mouth fell open. “A poorly maintained gun can be just as bad as having no gun. Sometimes worse.”

“Yes ma’am. Thank you.” Joaquin stammered. Sage gave him a smile and nod as they headed in, as did Hancock. 

Hancock enjoyed the whole interaction, despite not saying a word. Watching her inspect the worn gun was a treat; when she was focused on something she squinted her eyes just a little, and he loved the lines that made on her face. He knew she was going to give the kid a better gun. He’d seen her do it before, and that was the whole reason she carried one or two spares. She wasn’t in the habit of letting people go defenseless. Seeing people’s response to real kindness in this world was a beautiful thing.

They approached the workshop, spotting just a few other people in town. They were busy tending to crops or patching up buildings. Sage knocked on the wall before they entered the building. An older woman in a battered mechanics jumpsuit stood to the side of the room. Her greying hair was tied back in a bun and she seemed to be taking inventory.

“Excuse me? Nadia?” Sage said.

“You from the Minutemen?” She said, without looking up.

“Yes, ma’am. Here to help. I’m Sage and this is Hancock.” She stood just inside the doorway, Hancock to her side. She fidgeted impatiently while the woman finished up with what she working on. 

With a final note on her clipboard and a sigh, she turned to face the two of them. Her brow crinkled at the sight of Hancock, but flicking her eyes to a stone-faced Sage made her decide against saying anything. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, Nadia supposed. Besides, this woman looked like the kind of person who wouldn’t stand for someone to insult their companion.

“Thanks for getting here so fast.” Nadia said, walking up to shake Sage’s hand. “We’re not in a bad way yet, but I’m hoping to avoid a bad situation all together.”

“That’s pretty reasonable.” Sage nodded. “So what’s going on?”

“Well, Joaquin and Alexis noticed some Gunners passing by the other day. There’s been a lot of them around recently, and we all know they’re hardly better than raiders. We want to shore up our defences before they take notice of us. If we had some more walls and maybe a turret they might decide we’re too much trouble to bully.” Nadia crossed her arms. “The trouble is, Jamaica Plain has been picked over so many times over the years, there isn’t a lot of useable salvage left. We don’t have enough capable fighters to send anyone out scaving and still have our defences up. I’m hoping you two can find the parts we need. And I certainly wouldn’t be against you staying around to help us set up.”

Sage nodded.

“Absolutely, that shouldn’t be a problem at all. What kind of supplies are you looking for?”

“I’ve already got a list. I’ve marked the things I think are essential, plus a few things that would just be awfully handy to have around.” Nadia walked over a table covered in odds and ends, searching through it for a moment before pulling out a piece paper from a stack. “Up north a bit there’s University Point. I’m sure you know the town’s history- it might still be a bit dangerous- but you two look like you can handle it. There should be plenty there to scav.”

Nadia passed the wrinkled page to Sage, who scanned it and nodded, then passed it to Hancock. 

“Sounds good to me.” Sage said, readjusting her pack.  
“Which way were those Gunners headed?” Hancock piped up. “Wouldn’t wanna get caught off guard by ‘em.”

It was clear to both of them Nadia wasn’t a fan of ghouls. She responded to Hancock’s voice as if it were a nasty smell. Sage clenched her fist and hoped Nadia would have the decency to stay polite. They were there to help, after all. Nadia cleared her throat.

“I think the kids said they were heading south. So they shouldn’t be much of an issue.”

“Good to know.” Hancock said. He was more than used to the ghoul hate. It didn’t bother much anymore, but he couldn’t help but enjoy that this woman had to stay civil. He and Sage would have helped them out anyway, of course, though probably more begrudgingly. At least she was smart enough to keep her mouth shut about her prejudices.

Sage did her best to move past the tension.

“Ok, well, I guess we’ll head out. I’m not sure how long it’ll take to gather all this stuff up but I’m sure we’ll be back in a few days. Oh, by the way,” She said, holding up the broken pipe rifle, “I gave Joaquin a rifle that was much better condition than this one. Is it ok if I leave this one here til we get back? If we have time I’d like to teach him how to take care of his guns better.”

Nadia blinked in surprise.

“You just gave him a new gun? That was... very kind of you.”

“It’s the least I could do. His was in, uh, pretty terrible condition and-”

“-And Sage here is almost too nice. But it’s kind of infectious, doncha think?” Hancock interrupted. He had a hard time hiding his shit-eating grin. Teasing bigots was a fun hobby, second only to punching them. 

Nadia, to her credit, continued to take it gracefully. She cleared her throat.

“Well, I do appreciate it. Go ahead and leave that here; Wouldn’t want you weighed down when we need so much material. Good luck out there.” She gave them both a nod- even looking Hancock in the face- before they headed out.

They left the way they came, going east towards the ruined highway. Hancock noticed Sage chewing the inside of her lip. It was a subtle mannerism, one he’d picked up on in the last few months.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about, Sunshine?” He asked as they climbed up a pile of rubble.

“Oh, nothing. Just how that would have played out if Nadia had been… rude.”

Hancock laughed.  
“You’d have told her to shut the hell up if she wants our help. I’d have told her to get fucked. And we’d still be on our way to University Point to find the parts they need.”

It was Sage’s turn to laugh.

“Yeah, probably. I just wonder what’ll happen if anyone actually turns down our help someday.”

“Don’t worry about it, Sunshine. We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.”

They stopped on top of the pile for Sage to laugh at his turn of phrase. He loved making her laugh, especially at times like this. Being a ghoul was one things about himself that he didn’t actually hate, but he sure didn’t like that it gave Sage another thing to worry about. She had a beautiful smile and he didn’t get to see it unguarded near often enough. She stepped closer to him, still chuckling, to plant a kiss on him. Maybe she thought it would be quick, but he took the opportunity to pull her against him with his hands on her waist. The kiss turned long and sweet, with their arms around each other. Sage pulled her face away after a moment.

“You’re such a goofball. This might not be the best place for us to get so distracted.” She smirked. 

“You’re probably right.” He slid his hands down her waist, giving her butt a squeeze. “Ain’t my fault you’re so distracting, though.”

She blushed and pushed him away. He also loved making her blush.

“Seriously though, this isn’t a good place for this. We’ve got work to do.” She did her best to regain her composure and headed down the rubble pile.

“All work and no play, Sunshine. Besides, you started it.” He said, following up behind her. He gave her quick peck on the cheek and watched her sweet little smile.

“You’re too much. Now, anyway,” She said, pointing off in the distance, “see all that junk over there? It couldn’t hurt to check it for some of these odds and ends.”

She started walking towards the junk but Hancock hung back for a moment. It wasn’t just that it was a great view- being a follower had its perks sometimes- but he still couldn’t believe how lucky he was. He’d taken plenty of lovers over the years, even since becoming a ghoul, but never anyone like Sage. She wasn’t just there for a good time or the “exotic experience” of being with a ghoul. She was there for _ him _ , which was bewildering. Sometimes he thought this all must be some wonderful, terrible trip from too much jet.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw her tense up. She’d stopped, shoulders square, and crouched down. She drew her rifle, and glanced back at him, nodding him forward. He followed suit, getting his shotgun ready and quickly snuck up behind her.

“What is it?” He whispered.

“Listen, do you hear that?” She replied.

They sat in silence for a moment. Sure enough, he heard a faint voice. It sounded like it was coming from the junk pile, but he couldn’t make it out. He nodded at her, and together they approached the source. The voice grew clearer and the two of them stopped to look at each other in confusion.

“Hello? Is there anyone out there? I swear I heard something.” A voice called out from an ancient refrigerator. Sage gave up sneaking and walked towards the fridge.

“Hello?” Sage said cautiously. 

“Oh my gosh! Please let me out!” The voice said.

“Who are you? How did you get in there?”

“My names Billy. I hid in here to get away from the bombs, but there isn’t a handle on the inside! Please, I’ve been in here so long!”

She put her hand to mouth in shock. The bombs? That was two hundred years ago! She looked at Hancock, who was just as surprised.

“We’ll let you out, just hold on.” Sage said.

“Yes, thank you! I think you’ll have to shoot the door off. It’s been stuck for so long.” He sounded like he might cry.

Sage shot the door off without a problem. It fell the ground, and out crawled a child. A ghoul child. Pale and bald, dressed in rags. He stumbled and groaned, stretching his legs and shielding himself from the harsh sunlight. Sage knelt in front of him as he got his bearings.

“You ok, buddy?”

“Yeah, I think so. It’s just so bright out here. And everything’s all wrecked.” Billy said.

“You were in there an awful long time. What happened?” Sage asked.

“Like I said, I hid when the sirens started going off. Everything was falling apart. I tried to get out when it got quiet again but I couldn’t open the door.” He crossed his arms like he was trying to hug himself. “Can you help me get home? I used to live in Quincy but I don’t know where I am.”

Hancock had been wandering the Commonwealth a long time, but he’d never seen a kid ghoul before. It made him sad in a way he couldn’t describe. This wasn’t a life a kid should have to endure. He was used to the bigotry, he’d seen some of the worst of it and knew how to deal with it. If Nadia had been in Diamond City when his brother kicked out the ghouls, she may not have been violent but she sure wouldn’t have lifted a finger to stop them. She wouldn’t have helped those families or this child. That thought pissed him off. His grip on his shotgun tightened.

“Of course we’ll help you get home. If I show you a map, can you show me where you lived?” Sage said, fiddling with her Pip-Boy.

“Yeah, probably- Is that a Pip-Boy? That’s so cool!” The boy excitedly poked at the computer. Sage smiled as he explored it and talked about what he’d read in science magazines 200 years ago. Hancock was suddenly acutely aware of how good she was with kids. Watching her go “Mom” on this poor kid riled up those butterflies in his stomach and made his heart want to beat out of his chest.

“Oh ok, so you lived on the south side of Quincy.” She chewed her lip for a moment. “We can get you there no problem. Right, Hancock?”

Hancock was startled by the two of them looking back at him. His eyes flicked between them; She looked nervous and the boy looked hopeful.

“Yeah, don’t worry, little guy. You’re safe with us.” He said with a smile. “It’s getting kinda late to head towards Quincy now though, yeah? Maybe we oughta camp here for the night.”

Sage tilted her head at him, confused. It was getting late, but they could easily make it back to Jamaica Plain to rest. Hancock quickly shook his head at her; They could talk about it later.

“Sure, that sounds like a good idea. Let’s make ourselves comfortable in this… what used to be a house.” Sage said with faux confidence.

“Really? Are you sure we can’t leave now?” Billy said, almost pleadingly.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, I know you want to get home. But, well, the world got dangerous. It’s gonna get dark soon and staying here until morning will help us keep you safe. I promise we’ll get you home, you just need to be patient for a little longer, ok?” She was using the gentlest voice Hancock had ever heard. Billy bit his lip and nodded.

The three of them cleaned up a corner of the broken down building and settled in. The roof was mostly gone; The smoke from their small fire drifted off into the night. Sage and Hancock told Billy stories about the new world, leaving out the scarier parts. He could learn about Deathclaws later. He lit up when Sage told him about Diamond City. Apparently he’d been to Fenway Park once before the war and had always thought it would be a neat place to live. They didn’t mention that ghouls weren’t allowed in the city; He could learn about bigotry later, too. Hancock threw his coat over the boy as he dozed off that night. He turned to find Sage smiling at him.

“What are you smiling at?” he asked, clearly trying to find someplace else to look.

“Oh, nothing, just someone who plays the badass but is secretly a sweetheart.”

Hancock couldn’t really blush anymore, but his face still felt warmer.

“Well, keep it to yourself. Can’t let it get out that the Mayor of Goodneighbor is a big softy.” He said, taking a seat next to her against the wall.

“Your secret is safe with me, Mr. Mayor.” She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I was wondering why you didn’t want to go back to Jamaica Plain, but when we were talking about Diamond City I realized you probably didn’t want him to deal with Nadia.”

He sighed and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it and took a long drag before speaking.

“I meant to become what I am. I can handle what the people throw at me because of it. But he’s… just a kid. It ain’t his fault he got dealt this hand.” He slid his other arm behind Sage. “What’s the plan if…”

His voice trailed off. Sage knew what he was thinking. Even if his house is still standing, his family must be long gone. She supposed they could have been ghoulified too, but that was too much to hope for.

“I thought he might come home with us.” Sage said quietly. She quickly added, “Or we could take him up to Sanctuary, or one of the other settlements we know are safe.”

Hancock was quiet. Come home with us? Goodneighbor wasn’t a place for a kid and he sure wasn’t Dad material. Then again, he’d never seen Sage more at ease than when she was Mom-ing this kid. She hadn’t opened up about her past- and he couldn’t blame her- but he’d read that article in Publick Occurrences. He knew she’d lost people, lost her son. Even if he couldn’t be a good dad, he could at least give her the chance to be someone’s mom. It wasn’t like he could give her that experience, god forbid she wanted him to. Maybe this could work. 

“Yeah. Yeah, why not. Guess I’ll have to try a little harder to clean up Goodneighbor, though.” He kissed the top of her head; She responded with a kiss to his cheek.

They were startled from the moment by incoming voices. Heavy footsteps approached, the rattle of travel gear and weapons. There were people coming and that was almost never a good thing. Sage stood and grabbed her rifle, ready at the entrance to their hovel. Hancock stood to block the kid from view. A grizzled man stepped out of the darkness. His hair was long and messy. He wore combat armor with the Gunners’ insignia, as did two other men standing behind him. None of them had their weapons drawn, which was unusual for the Gunners.

“You folks look a bit on edge. We ain’t here to cause trouble. We’d like to make a deal, actually.” The man started. He was trying very hard to be personable, smiling and talking with his hands. Sage and Hancock didn’t respond. “I had some boys out on patrol earlier and they say they saw you with a ghoul child, which I’m sure you know is something of a rarity. I’ve got a client who’d pay very well-”

Sage cut him off.

“Go fuck yourself. We’re not selling you a child.” She snarled. The man seemed taken aback at her viciousness. Hancock smirked; she always knew just what to say.

The man’s facade dropped. His face fell into a glare and he crossed his arms.

“That was a bit fuckin’ rude, don’t you think? I’m tryin’ to have a civil conversation about this. I haven’t even gotten to your part of the deal, yet.”

“We don’t want a deal. What we want is for you to leave.” Her voice was steady. Gunners didn’t respect much, but sometimes they’d back down if it was clear you weren’t going to take their shit. It helped to put on a mask of fearlessness. Her eyes moved between the three of them for a moment, checking their gear; they were traveling pretty light, which was a good sign. They weren’t prepared for her kind of resistance.

“Hmph. You’re a stubborn bitch, aren’t you? And it looks like your pet ghoul back there is itchin’ for a fight-”

“Watch your fuckin’ mouth, asshole. I ain’t feral yet, but you insult her again and that might change.” Hancock growled.

“And they say chivalry is dead.” The Gunner deadpanned. “You’re quite the fuckin’ pair. Still, I was told to offer 350 caps, but I am prepared for upwards of-”

“We truly don’t give a shit. Take your caps and leave.” Sage watched the men behind him shift, glancing at eachother. She almost smirked; This wasn’t going how they expected it to at all.

“Well, damn. We ain’t gonna fight you for him, but should you change your mind-”

Hancock interrupted him again.

“We won’t, asshole.” He said.

“Fine. You folks are lucky this is pretty low priority.” He looked Sage dead in the eye; His voice dripped with malice. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if we crossed paths again.”

“Looking forward to it.” She responded without hesitation.

The three men turned and left without another word. Sage stayed at the doorway. Hancock stepped up next to her, watching the men leave.

“How long are we gonna stay here?” He whispered.

“It doesn’t matter. They’re gonna have someone watching us, they’ll know when we leave. Probably try to follow us.” She leaned her rifle against the wall and started using her Pip-Boy. “It’s about 10pm now. We can take turns getting a couple hours of sleep and leave at maybe four. If we’re lucky their watchmen might doze off by then.”

“Gunners ain’t usually that unprofessional.”

“I know. Like I said, if we’re lucky.” She bit her lip and thought. “I’m worried about how we’re gonna get through Quincy. The place is crawling with Gunners. Nick and I snuck into town a while back to get into the police station there and we barely got out in one piece.”

The two of them studied the glowing screen of her small computer. Hancock let out a breath and shook his head.

“Ain’t got a lot of choices, Sunshine. Any route we take we’re gonna risk some bullshit or other.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just frustrating. If it was just us to worry about it wouldn’t be so bad.” She frowned at the screen again. “What if we cut across the bog and make land south of the Atom Cat’s garage? That way we can avoid the quarry and most of the city proper.”

Hancock nodded.

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll take first watch.” Hancock said.

“You always take first watch.”

“And I always will. Get some rest.” He kissed her cheek.

She turned to him looking like she had something on the tip of her tongue. Whatever words she had seemed caught in her throat. Hancock was at a loss for words, too. Her soft, green eyes reflected the glow of fire and she looked almost wistful. Sometimes he could see the sadness in her, that loss that she never quite wanted to talk about. There was something else mixed in the sadness this time, but he couldn’t place what it was. She was just so goddamn beautiful he couldn’t think straight. 

Sage gave up trying to say words and kissed him. Hancock was so used to initiating and his own intensity that her softness caught him off guard. The kiss was like a secret, something she wanted him to know but couldn’t say. When she pulled away he was still a little dumbfounded.

“G’night.” She murmured to him. She walked over to her patch of floor and curled up with a small blanket and her bag as a pillow.

Hancock wasn’t sure what just happened, but he was pretty sure he wanted it to happen again. He settled in for his few hours of guard duty and took some mentats to keep himself sharp. He watched Sage as she slept, marveling at her. She really was something else. He still just couldn’t figure what she saw in someone like him, a deadbeat druggie. He always felt like he was running from something, but maybe he was just running towards her. Maybe he could actually make something of himself with her. She made him want to be better than he was, and that was something he couldn’t thank her for enough. Maybe someday she’d let him take some of the weight she carried off her shoulders. Until then, he’d still be here at her side, helping her help the Commonwealth.

The watch passed uneventfully. She looked so peaceful when he went to nudge her awake. He hesitated, watching her sleep and drinking in her perfect lips and scars and freckles. Of course, she’d let him have it if he didn’t wake her up for her turn. He squatted down next to her and gently shook her shoulder. 

“Your turn, Sunshine.”

Her brow crinkled as she stretched and yawned.

“Already?” She groaned.

“I mean, I could just watch all night on my own.” He teased.

“No, no, just give me a sec.”

They traded places with a quick kiss. Hancock got a few hours of well deserved rest, and Sage was alone with her thoughts.

She was so grateful for Hancock. She was sure he knew who she was; when a Vault Dweller shows up and shakes up the wasteland, people tend to take notice. But in the months they’d been travelling together, he’d never pried. Anything she mentioned about the old world or her new adventures he just took in stride. She didn’t know how to tell him how his dedication to his cause inspired her. It hurt her that despite all he’d done he still thought himself a failure, but then, didn’t she feel the same way? Her failures had cost so many lives, though, so many she could hardly stand it. She wasn’t sure how to atone. Maybe helping this child find his family- or becoming his family- would be a good start.

The hours passed without note. Sage wished she had some coffee. At about 3:30am she woke Hancock, and the two of them got things ready to go. She went to wake Billy while Hancock was busying himself.

“Billy? We’ve gotta go soon.” She shook his shoulder. He groaned and rolled over.

“Just five more minutes, Mom.” He mumbled. Sage’s heart leapt into her throat.

“It- it’s just me, Billy. Miss Sage? We need to get you home.” She stammered.

“Oh. Oh, right. I’m sorry.” The boy sat up and stretched. “It’s still so dark out. Do we really need to leave now?”

“Yeah, we, um-” Sage struggled to organize her thoughts. She hadn’t realized how such a small slip of the tongue would disorient her. Luckily, Hancock slid in to save her.

“I’m not a fan of bein’ up this early either, kiddo, but the sun’ll be up soon. We gotta head out before any bad guys notice we’re here.”

“Bad guys?” His voice trembled slightly. “You mean those guys that showed up last night?”

“I, uh-” She hesitated. How do you explain to a child that someone might want him as property? She took a breath. “Yes, sweetie, those men. But they aren’t going to hurt us, or you, because we have a plan. We just have to leave soon, okay? You don’t need to be scared. We’ll take care of you.”

Billy swallowed, then nodded in understanding. He got up and helped them finish getting ready.

“Thanks for letting me borrow your coat, Mr. Hancock.” Billy said in a small voice, passing the red coat up to him. Hancock laughed and gave Billy a pat on the head. 

“No problem, little guy.” He slid the coat back on. “And it’s just Hancock. I ain’t that formal.”

Sage kneeled down and showed Billy the map on her Pip-Boy again, explaining the plan. They got the show on the road. Sage took point and Hancock stayed in the back, keeping Billy safe in the middle. They cut off the main road just north of Neponset Park, Sage recalling there being a disconcerting number of Mirelurks there. They carefully made their way across the bog. No one enjoyed the experience of occasionally having to swim in the murky water. The sun was peaking over the horizon as they got to the other side. They got themselves cleaned up and Sage opened up their map again.

“Okay, we’re about right here,” She said, pointing at the road just north of Quincy, “And your house is down here, right?”

Billy nodded.

“Great, so, we’re gonna go around this way to circle around to back of town.” She drew the line with her finger.

“Why can’t we just go through town? Wouldn’t that be faster?” Billy looked between his new caretakers. “Are there… bad guys there?”

Sage sighed.

“Yes, sweetie, there are. But that’s why we’re taking the long way.”

“Do you think my parents are ok?” Billy said quietly.

Words caught in Sage’s throat.

“No use worrying about that yet, kiddo.” Hancock put his hand on Billy’s shoulder. “There’s no way of knowing til we get there. I bet they turned ghoul just like you and me did.”

Sage glanced back at him, hoping he knew how thankful she was. His wink told her yes. They journeyed on, Sage listening to the boys- her boys?- talking.

“What didja mean, that they might have turned ghoul?” Bill asked.

“Well, folks like you and me that look like, uh, kickass zombies. We’re what people call ghouls. No one knows exactly how it works, and I ain’t a scientist, but I guess it’s when a person gets hit with so much radiation at one time the body doesn’t know how to handle it. So we just become this.”

“Oh. Is that how you became a ghoul? Were you around before the bombs, too?” Billy asked. Sage was glad his curiosity overpowered his fears.

“Nah, I’ve been King of the Zombies for maybe six years. I was, uh, sick and the only medicine that might help turned me into this.” Listening to Hancock try to explain his ghoulification to a child was almost funny; Come to think of it, when was the last time he talked to a kid? Sage didn’t want to miss any of their conversation, but knew she needed to focus on the road.

“Being a ghoul is fu- is frickin’ awesome and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The world is still covered in radiation that smoothskins gotta watch out for, but us? We ain’t gotta worry about a thing. It’s actually good for us! Makes us stronger. I’m sure you already guessed it from bein’ in that fridge for so long, but we’re also basically immortal! And what’s not cool about that?”

Hancock had no idea what he was doing but this kid was enraptured, so he must be doing something right. Questions started pouring out of Billy: Are you really the king? Are there a lot of other ghouls out there? How many people are left? What’s a smoothskin? What were you sick with? Sage couldn’t help but stifle her laughter. Hancock was doing a great job, but kids were always going to be like this. He answered Billy’s questions as best he could, but he took on a more serious tone just before they got to Quincy.

“Listen, Billy, one more thing about being a ghoul. There’s a lotta folks out here that don’t like us much. They, uh, they think we’re scary and think we might hurt ‘em. So when you meet new people that aren’t ghouls, you gotta be careful, ok?” Billy nodded seriously. Hancock leaned down to him and spoke in a stage whisper. “Lucky for us, we got Miss Sage. And she’s pretty great, ain’t she?”

Billy giggled; Sage blushed. 

They were getting closer to Quincy. They’d managed to avoid being noticed by staying closer to the shore, but soon they’d have no choice but head into town. The ruined overpass loomed ahead of them. She knew even this early there would be guards stationed. Gunners ran this town, and Gunners didn’t do anything by halves. She stopped and cleared her throat, turning to them.

“I’m glad you boys are having a good time,” she whispered, “But we have to get serious now. There’s probably, uh, bad guys up on that overpass. We have to sneak under it and then walk through the swamp to get the houses in the back. We need to be as quiet and careful as possible.”

Billy nodded, his eyes wide.

“Don’t worry, we’re gonna be fine. You’re doing great. Just follow my lead, all right?” Billy nodded again and forced a small smile. She glanced at Hancock, who also gave a nod.

Sage stepped up the muddy incline carefully, scanning the open ground up ahead of them. At least there wasn’t any ground support this time of day. She watched two figures walk lazily along the overpass, making a loop. It took several minutes to make the whole thing; It shouldn’t be too hard to make a break for the shadows while their backs were turned. Sage looked back at her boys, nodded at them, and counted down from five with her fingers. At zero she made a fist. She stepped up the embankment and look back to see Hancock helping BIlly up with a hand on his back. 

She moved quickly through the brush, crouching low. Billy was moving as quietly as he could behind her, but to her trained ear he sounded like a bull in a china shop. She listened intently for voices from above them. They were nearly there, the shadow of the broken highway almost within reach. Maybe this would be easier than she thought.

Suddenly, beeping. Sage’s stomach dropped. She looked to ground; There was a frag mine not two feet away, it’s red light flashed tauntingly. Several others were scattered ahead of it. There was no time.

“Mines!” She yelled, throwing herself backwards. She tackled Billy, knocking down Hancock in the process, and tried to roll them away from the explosives. She held Billy in a bearhug with her back to the danger, her eyes squeezed shut.

The first mine went off not a second later, which let off a chain reaction. The ground shook under them. Sage heard voices in the distance, just barely over the ringing in her ears, which she could only assume were Gunners now alerted to their presence. A hand on her shoulder; Hancock’s voice. She opened her eyes.

“Sage? Come on!” He stood above her, a thin line of blood going down his forehead. He squeezed her arm. A look of relief briefly washed over his face. 

“Get Billy.” She said, loosening her grip on the boy. Hancock pulled him out of her arms and ran for the cover of the bridge.

Sage struggled to get herself off the ground. She knew she needed to hide. Being in the open wasn’t just asking for her to get shot, it could lead them to Hancock and Billy. She rolled over to face the overpass and pushed herself up, ignoring the pain in her back and head. Get to cover. Stay hidden. Get ready. She ran for it, getting under the ruins just before a guard appeared above her. Billy sat leaning against a pillar, head to his knees. Hancock stood up from his crouch next to the boy and ran to Sage as she stumbled, catching her before she could fall.   
“Don’t worry, Sunshine, I gotcha.” He said, leading her to where Billy was sitting.

“I-I’m ok, but John, we need to hide.” She wiped her eyes, trying to focus. “There, back there!”

She pointed to the rubble pile, steel beams and concrete chunks from the collapsed overpass.

“Get Billy, I can-”

“No, Sage, I’m helping  _ you _ . Kid’s fine, just scared.” he said stubbornly. 

He whistled at Billy and motioned towards the pile. They limped through the rubble until they found a concealed area, just big enough for the three of them. Billy crawled in first, then hid himself in a corner. Hancock gingerly leaned Sage against a slab of concrete and kissed her forehead. Her brow was furrowed and her eyes were closed.

“How you feelin’, Sunshine?” He whispered.

“My head hurts. Back does, too.”

“Well, it was a frag mine. Coulda been a hell of a lot worse.” He rifled through his bag. “Stim or Med-x?”

“Med-x is fine. We should save the stims.” She felt him take her arm so her wrist was facing up and push the needle into the crook of her elbow. She winced at the small pinch of pain, but the relief was near instant. “Thanks, John.”

After a few moments she shifted and opened her eyes, and found him looking at her with such warmth. It was something so unexpected at a time like this. She found his hand with her own and held it tight. His hand was rough and scarred but he was so real, so solid. 

“Are you ok? I didn’t- I didn’t have a chance to ask.” She said, still keeping her voice low. He kissed her again.

“I’m fine, Sunshine. All the better that you’re here,” he said sheepishly.

Sage was, once more, taken aback by just how much he cared. She felt the words on her tongue again, but swallowed them back down. Now wasn’t the time. She couldn’t begin to tell him how much he meant to her, but god, she hoped he knew.

All at once she was overwhelmed by guilt. She squeezed his hand and covered her eyes with her other.

“Christ, I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I should have been paying more attention.” She wanted to cry, but that was just another thing to force aside. There wasn’t time for her to be weak. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice a goddamn pile of landmines and put us all in danger.”

“Hey, don’t talk like that. We’re no worse for wear. Shit like this just happens sometimes.” He ran his thumb over her hand as he spoke.

“Every time I fuck up people die. I need to be more careful.” She grit her teeth.

Hancock stared at her. She carried a sadness in her, but he never expected this shame that he knew all too well. He was at a loss. It had always been one of the tenets of Goodneighbor; live and let live. No need to meddle in other’s business unless it was interfering with your own. He didn’t want to pry into Sage’s tragedies but he couldn’t help her if she wouldn’t talk to him. 

He was caught off guard by Billy sliding up to Sage’s other side and leaning against her. Sage startled at the touch and Hancock saw her biting her lip.

“You don’t need to be upset, Miss Sage. I’m ok. I was just scared. But you saved me, so it’s ok.” He said quietly. 

Well that just wasn’t fair. Her throat tightened. She took her hand away from her eyes to wrap her arm around the child next to her. 

“Thanks, sweetie.” She croaked. “That means a lot.”

She glanced over at Hancock, who had the same look of warmth and worry he did before. He watched some tears drip down her mud-splattered cheeks. He was constantly blown away by her. All he could do was kiss her temple. 

“I’ll keep watch.” He whispered. “You two relax for a bit, yeah?”

Hancock creeped up the entrance of their small cove, staying just inside. The Gunners were searching for them. Their voices were muffled, but getting closer. He doubted they’d think to look this far back in the rubble, though. 

“I don’t fuckin’ see anything. You’re losing it.”

“No, I swear to Christ I saw someone run back here!”

“It was probably just a molerat that set ‘em off. I told you we shouldn’t have put so many right the fuck there.”

“Whatever, asshole. If it was molerats, why aren’t there any pieces left?”

“Uh, because you wasted like six mines on it? Come on, let’s go back up top. We ain’t gonna find anything.”

Hancock wanted to laugh. Gunners were some of the best organized mercs in the Commonwealth, but that didn’t stop their grunts from being morons. He figured it would be best to lay low for a while. Just because they hadn’t been spotted didn’t mean the Gunners wouldn’t be more than a little more high strung. 

_ John _ . She’d started calling him  _ John _ . It was like she hadn’t realized she was doing it; It just fell out of her mouth so naturally. Comfortably. When they first got together it threw him off that she wasn’t the romantic type. She seemed like someone who would be, and it hard for him to accept that she really did want him when she wouldn’t even call him “babe”. They came to an understanding, and he realized he could use his deep romantic streak to get some great reactions out of her. Seeing her blush the first few times he called her Sunshine was something he’d cherish for a good, long time. He blinked in realization; she called him John the way he called her Sunshine. 

He smiled. It had been a long time since he’d actually liked his given name.

After a good half an hour he went back inside. Sage and Billy were still leaning against one another. Sage was quietly humming some tune he didn’t recognize; must have been pre-war. Her tears had stopped but her eyes were still shiny and wet. Streaks had been left down her dirty cheeks. He didn’t understand how she could still be so beautiful.

“Hey, Sunshine.” He whispered. “How’re you two doin’?”

She looked over and brushed her hair out of her face.

“We’re ok.” She saw the way he was looking at her. There was so much concern etched onto his face. She cleared her throat. “I’m ok. I just needed to calm down.”

He didn’t look entirely convinced. That was fair, she wasn’t being entirely honest. But now wasn’t the time for her to have a breakdown. They had a child to save.

“Everything alright out there?” She asked.

“Yeah, some Gunners were lookin’ for us but they decided we were just a molerat. I think we can head out without much trouble.”

Sage nodded and looked down at Billy. He was staring off into space, fidgeting with the edge of his ragged shirt. 

“You ready, sweetie?”

He snapped back to the present and glanced up at her, then to Hancock, then to the ground. He swallowed.

“Yeah. Let’s do it.” He said quietly. 

“I know you’re scared, but we’re almost there.” Sage squeezed him to her side again before letting go. “We promised to get you home safe and we will.”

The three of them sneaked out of their hiding place. Sage took lead again, first crouching down to look at the map with Billy. She silently pointed to where they were and made a line to where he said his house was. He nodded and pointed off the distance, past the ruins of the overpass and several dilapidated houses. She nodded in return and began the slow, careful march towards it.

They paused at the edge of the overpass, but before heading into the open. Sage looked up and listened intently, hoping that the guards were paying more attention to east than west. She scanned the ground, hoping the mines had been the last of their bad luck. They continued on, creeping from house to house. They could hear Gunners laughing and shouting in the distance. The occasional gunshot rang through the air, but it never seemed to be directed at them.  

Being cautious took an agonizingly long time. Billy finally knew where he was again. The neighborhood was broken, but he recognized each house and remembered everyone who used to live there. He was wanted to give up this awful sneaking and run. But Miss Sage just looked so serious. She and Mr. Hancock knew what they were doing, but he was just so impatient. When they came around another crumbling house and saw his still standing, he couldn’t contain himself.

“That’s it, that’s my house!” He shout-whispered.

“Billy, no!” Sage tried to catch him as he ran by but he was too fast, too excited. She chased after him, hoping to god no one was paying attention. 

He got inside the house a few seconds before she did. Those seconds were torture. Were there raiders in this house? Molerats? Scared settlers that would shoot a ghoul on sight? She stepped up the porch and through the door, knowing she didn’t have the strength to handle the worst the Commonwealth could throw at her.

What she found was a family. Two ghouls, a man and woman, stood stunned. The woman had her hands over her mouth and was leaning against the kitchen counter. The man looked like was seeing a ghost. Billy stood before them, rooted to the ground. They didn’t even glance at her and Hancock as they burst through the doorway.

“Billy? Is that you?” The woman gasped.

“Yeah, Mom. It’s me.” He said.

That broke the spell. The woman pushed herself off the counter and stumbled to the ground at Billy’s feet. She pulled him into a tight embrace. The man did the same, hugging the three of them together.

It was beautiful. Sage put her hand over her mouth to stifle her sniffling. She felt a hand on her shoulder and leaned back into Hancock as they watched the scene unfold. It had all been worth it. This was all she wanted.

“I don’t understand. Where have you been all this time? How did you get here?” The man rasped.

“I-I know you always told me not to, but I crawled inside a fridge when everything started blowing up. After it got quiet I couldn’t get out.” He murmured. He pulled away from his parents to point back at the door. “But they found me. They saved me and brought me here. They brought me home.” 

His parents looked at the door, noticing them for the first time. They were stunned. Sage tried to pull herself together. 

“How you doin, folks?” Hancock said, once again saving her.

The man planted kisses on his wife and son’s head, then stood to approach them. He was at a loss but gracious.

“I don’t know what to say. We always thought-” He stopped, caught himself. “-I’m sorry, I’m Matt Peabody. My wife is Carol. We- we can’t thank you enough.”

Sage smiled and put her hand out to him.

“Sage Fairfield. This is Hancock.” Matt shook her hand. “No thanks necessary. We’re just glad this turned out so well.”

Matt opened his mouth to speak, but noticed something behind them. His eyes widened. Sage’s heart dropped.

“I want those ghouls! Especially the kid!” She heard a familiar voice shout. It was that god damn Gunner from the night before. Matt looked down at her, mouth set.

“Take them upstairs.” Sage said, surprised at how even her voice was. “We will handle this.”

Matt nodded and backed away from the door, ushering his family upstairs. Sage drew her weapon and turned around, stepping past Hancock. The long-haired Gunner stood before her, again flanked by two lackeys. He crossed his arms and looked almost impressed.

“Told you I’d see you again.” He said. Sage just glared at him. “Now, we’re gonna take these ghouls. You can die trying to save them or you can get the hell out of our way.”

Sage’s blood was boiling. How dare they? Couldn’t these people- these monsters- let one happy ending exist out here? This was unacceptable.

“Do I look scared to you, asshole? This family is under my protection and I’ll be damned if I let you lay a finger on them.” She spat.

Hancock readied his shotgun. He loved hearing her say shit like that, knowing she absolutely meant it. It was one of those things that reminded him why he was devoted to her. Hell or high water, he’d be there. He was ready to take out these pricks.

“Well ain’t that some shit,” the lead Gunner said.

He raised his pistol in an instant but Sage was already moving. She rolled forward, landed at the bottom of the steps on her knee and took a fast shot. It was too fast, and it just grazed the leader's arm. That was enough for him to cry out and step back. She turned to the next one. He was taking aim at her, but her shot to his gut and Hancock’s to his head dropped him without issue.

Another shot went off. Pain burst through Sage’s shoulder. She toppled over, her left arm now useless. Hancock was to her right, struggling with the third Gunner. It was an up close and personal fight. Ahead of her stood that long-haired bastard with a shit-eating grin on his face. 

“I knew you were all talk. I fucking told you, bitch-” A shot rang out. 

Sage had pulled out her side arm- a simple 10mm- while the dumb fucker was gloating. She picked herself up in time for Hancock to give the last Gunner a final crack with the butt of his shotgun. He toppled to the ground with a thud.

Sage had just a moment to enjoy the satisfaction of winning the fight before her world went dark.

Hancock turned to her as the Gunner went down. All he saw was her hitting the ground and red staining the dirt around her. He dropped his gun and ran to her.

“Nononono no.” He said, rolling her onto her back. He pulled away the leather that was supposed to protect her and ripped the cloth of her shirt out of the way. It was an awful lot of blood. “Fuckfuckfuckfuck!”

“Quick, bring her inside!” Billy yelled from the window.

Hancock didn’t have time to think. He scooped her up and carried her in. Matt and Carol were already clearing their table. He laid her down on it gently, aware of the blood continuing to spread across her shirt.

“Can you help her?” he rasped.

“Don’t worry, son. My Carol was damn good a nurse.” Matt put a hand on his shoulder.

“Is there anything-”

“Do you have any stimpacks? Clean water? Alcohol, for disinfectant?” Carol cut him off. “Med-x couldn’t hurt, either.”

Hancock frantically searched through their bags and pulled out several stims, a few med-x syringes, a bottle of vodka, and two bottles of clean water. He hoped to god it was enough. Carol was already cleaning the wound to get a better look. Hancock studied her face, trying to get a gauge on the situation. He was pretty sure the shoulder area usually wasn’t too serious but he definitely wasn’t a doctor.

“Matt, go get me the tweezers.” Carol said. “It’s not too bad but if we don’t get the bullet out it won’t heal right. Probably get infected.”

Hancock stood back in the living room and watched. It had been years since he’d felt so god damned useless and he hated it. After the ghouls got kicked out of Diamond City, after watching Vic fuck with the drifters in Goodneighbor, he promised himself he’d never feel this useless again. If something was a problem he’d do something about it. But he couldn’t do anything about this. 

He wasn’t fast enough, that’s what it was. He hadn’t expected Sage to go _ towards _ their attackers. She could have gotten cover just inside the doorway or behind a pillar on the deck. She’d caught him off guard and it slowed him down. If he’d been paying more attention he could have stopped that fucker from hurting her. But he didn’t, and if she died he’d have to live with that too, along with every other thing he’d ever fucked up. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to live with himself.

“Take a seat, son. Standing there worrying isn’t gonna help.” Matt took Hancock by the shoulder and lead him away from the kitchen. The next best place for him to sit was on the stairs leading to the second story. 

Hancock sat down. He hunched over, his hands clasped together and between his knees, staring at the floor. All he could do was wait. Billy came downstairs and squeezed himself next to Hancock, and leaned against him.

“Miss Sage’ll be ok. My mom’s a great nurse.” He said softly. Hancock couldn’t respond.

He didn’t know how long he sat there for; An hour? Maybe longer? He came to when Carol approached, wiping her hands on a blood stained rag. She looked tired but undefeated.

“Your girl is going to be fine. The shoulder can be a bad place to get hit, but the bullet missed the artery. Barely.” Hancock didn’t know what to say so he stood up and hugged the woman. He let go after a moment and fumbled for words.

“Sorry, I just- I don’t-”

Carol cut him off again.

“You don’t need to say anything. You two saved someone we love. It was only fair we do the same for you.” She said. “Anyway, it’ll be a while before she wakes up. We made her comfortable on the table. You can sit with her, if you like.”

Hancock croaked out a “Thank you” and headed over the table. They’d tucked a pillow under her head and threw a blanket over her. Her shoulder and part of chest were wrapped in thick bandages. Dirt and blood still splattered part of her face.

He hoped to god he never had to see her like this again. He brushed her auburn hair out of the way and kissed her forehead. He pulled up a chair and held her hand. It was still pretty early in the day, barely noon, but all at once exhaustion took him. He fell asleep with his head on the table.

Hours later, he woke to Sage stirring. 

“John? What’s going on?” She murmured. He stood as she tried to sit up. 

“No, no, lay down, Sunshine. You had a rough day.” He said, trying to sound more calm than he felt. She still looked confused. “One of those fucking Gunners shot you. Got your shoulder real bad. You’re gonna be fine, but Christ, lay down.” 

Everything hurt, especially her shoulder. She was laying on a wooden table with no recollection of how she got there. It took a moment but things started to come together: they’d gotten Billy back home but those damn Gunners followed them. They fought them off and she took a hit. Of course she had, she was too angry. Too reckless. She look at Hancock, standing over her. She’d been travelling with him long enough to know the difference between his real relaxed voice and his fake confidence voice. He gave her a tearful smile. 

“Are you ok?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He said, gently running his fingers through her hair. “Never better. Just- just don’t ever do that again, you hear me? I ain’t strong enough.”

She opened her mouth to respond when Billy came bounding down the stairs. He stopped at the foot the stairs, grinning from ear to ear.

“They’re awake!” He called up the stairs. “I told you I heard ‘em talking!”

He ran over to the table and gingerly hugged her right side. She still winced, but she didn’t mind. Hancock huffed out a laugh.

“You guys were amazing! You wiped out those bad guys in like ten seconds!” His eyes glanced over Sage’s bandages and he took a more serious cast. “But… I’m sorry you got hurt on our account.”

Sage reached out to rub his head as if he had hair to ruffle.

“Don’t be sorry. I’m just glad you’re all ok.” She said tiredly.

“We can’t thank you enough for what you did.” Matt said as he approached the foot of the table. “We never expected to have our son back, let alone have someone fight for us the way you two did.”

Carol stepped up beside him and nodded.

“We really just… don’t have the words.” She said. “I patched you up. It could have been a lot worse but you still might want to rest for a day or so. I doubt you want to sleep on that table the whole time, though, so we set up our bed for you.”

“Oh, you really don’t-” Sage tried to protest.

“Ma’am, you got shot defending my family.” Matt said. “Let us do what we can to repay you.”

The five of them stood in the kitchen and talked for a while before Sage decided she was ok to go upstairs. Hancock wanted to carry her but she indignantly declined.

“Calm down, I can walk. It was my arm that got shot, not my kneecaps!”

It was sure sign she’d recover just fine. She leaned on him going up the stairs and fell asleep again soon after settling into the bed. Hancock watched her a few moments and kissed her forehead. Downstairs the family was cleaning up their home and giving Billy some much needed affection. Hancock went outside for a smoke, and realized he and Sage had left all the Gunner’s weapons out on a ground. He gathered their things, then looked at the bodies on the ground. He sighed. Now was as good a time as any to see if they had anything useful and deal with the bodies; He needed something to do, anyway. 

Hours passed. Carol made dinner. Hancock enjoyed eating with the family. It was awkward at first; he hadn’t spent time with a family like this since before he left Diamond City. Billy’s reverence for him and Sage fixed that pretty quickly. Carol and Matt asked about the goings on of the Commonwealth. It tended to take a while for news to reach them. He could tell they wanted to ask more personal questions about him and Sage. They were too polite to say it outright, of course, but he gave them just enough information to sate them. 

They didn’t let him help clean up but they gave him a plate of food to take upstairs to Sage. He found her awake and propped up on a pillow, playing with her Pip-Boy. She looked up as he got ot the top of stairs. She smiled- a real smile- and brushed her hair out of her face. If it wasn’t for the bandages he might not know anything had happened.

“Hey, Sunshine. Gotcha some dinner.” He passed her the plate and pulled the armchair closer to the bed. 

He got comfortable as she devoured the food. Hancock lit a cigarette- the roof was mostly gone so the smoke shouldn’t be a problem- and thought on the last few days while she ate. He already knew he loved her. That wasn’t such a surprising realization. But just how much he loved her, everything about her, almost scared him. The thought of losing her cut him to his core, almost enough to reignite that urge to run he always got when things were too good. If he left now maybe it wouldn’t hurt as bad as it would later.

But that wasn’t an option and he knew it. He’d promised her and he’d promised himself that kind of bullshit was behind him. Besides, he couldn’t leave her side. Being with her was the only thing that felt real. He just wished he could do more for her. There was so much more going on in her head than he knew. She never wanted to talk about the sadness. He knew loss, he knew failure, and he knew what carrying it so close to your chest did to a person. It’s what made him what he was and he sure as hell didn’t want that fate for her.

“What are you thinking about?” Sage asked. She’d finished her plate and put it aside a few minutes ago. John- when did she start thinking of him as John?- was lost in thought. He was only this quiet when something was bothering him.

Her voice brought him out of his trance. He didn’t answer at first. He frowned a bit, looking for some words.

“Well, thinkin’ about you. I -I’m sure I don’t hafta tell you you scared the shit outta me. I thought those mines had me rattled, but Christ, they got nothin’ on this.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand and stared at the ground. “And some of things you’ve said lately sound an awful lot like me when I get low. And I hate thinkin’ you might hate yourself as much as I hate me. You got me worried.”

Sage didn’t know how to respond. He took another drag and looked up at her.

“You know I ain’t one to pry. We all got our tragedies. But I’m here for you.” He took a breath. “I love you. And I want to help, if you’ll let me.”

That wasn’t what she expected. Her eyes welled up with tears as the words washed over her.  She buried her face in hands. He so easily cut through her armor, not with the intent to harm but to find that wound that just wasn’t healing. She knew she loved him, but did she deserve to be in love again so soon? It had technically been sixty years since Kellogg murdered her husband, but being in cryostasis had done her no favors. It wasn’t even a year yet to her. Her old life was a world away but its scars would never really fade.

Past the guilt, she knew it was something she needed to hear him say. It was a reminder that she wasn’t alone. That life would go on. He was real and he loved her, so she was real too. 

Hancock wasn’t sure how he thought she going to react. All things considered, this wasn’t the most surprising. He put out his cigarette and moved from the armchair to the edge of the bed. He tenderly put his arms around her, careful of her shoulder, and let her cry into him. He wanted to comfort her but didn’t know what to say. Maybe he shouldn’t say anything. They sat like that for several minutes, the only sound being her quiet weeping.

“John, I-” She tried speaking through her tears. Her voice hitched in her throat. “-I love you too.”

That hit him like a ton of bricks. His own eyes started watering and he wanted to squeeze her and never let go. She shouldn’t love him. He was nothing. But he was hers, and maybe that was enough. He ran his fingers through her hair and planted a kiss on her forehead. She looked up at him and even bloodshot her eyes were beautiful, full of love and longing. His hand slid from her hair down her jaw and tipped her chin up. It was a kiss like he’d never had before. Like Sage never thought she’d feel again. It was passionate, but not carnal the way Hancock usually was. It was almost worshipful. 

They pulled away after a moment, breathless.

“That sure was something.” He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. 

“It sure was.” She said, smiling weakly.

They took a moment to reposition on the bed. Hancock sat up against the bedframe with Sage leaning back against his shoulder. His left arm was around her waist and her right hand held his. They sat in a comfortable silence. It wasn’t often they had time to enjoy each other’s company while on the road. 

“I’m sorry I haven’t been more open with you.” Sage said, breaking the spell. “At first it was that it was kind of nice travelling with someone that wasn’t so… invested in me. And then when we started getting close I just didn’t know where to start.”

“You don’t need to be sorry, Sunshine. I can’t blame you for not wanting to talk about it. I know the appeal of starting fresh.”

“I know, but-” She hesitated “-but what you said about me sounding like you wasn’t wrong. And I should have brought it up when you first told me how you feel about yourself. Because I feel the same way.”

She took a deep breath, and began, at long last, to explain.

“I’m sure you heard the rumors. It was me and a few other agents that took down the Prydwen and the Institute. It was a tough few days. It’s still tough.” She took a breath. “I hate knowing you blame yourself for things you had no control over. You did your best to help the ghouls from Diamond City, and if you’d done anything to try to save that drifter from Vic’s goons they’d have just killed you too. Then where would Goodneighbor be? But I  _ understand _ . They tell me that the Commonwealth is safer now. But I- I just have so much blood on my hands. What if I made the wrong choices?”

Hancock squeezed her hand. They hadn’t talked about Diamond City or Vic since he first told his story. He didn’t like talking about it. Sage was right, of course. But that didn’t make those deaths- those failures- any easier to come to terms with. 

Then again, wasn’t that exactly what she was saying? 

“Sometimes there isn’t a good choice. Sometimes someone just has to stand up.” Hancock said solemnly. “The Commonwealth chews people up and spits ‘em back out. You didn’t make this place what it is, but you’re doing your damnedest to make it better. That means making hard choices and doing things no one else has the guts to. And only someone strong as you could do it.”

She felt like fate had been dragging her by the wrist ever since the Vault. These weren’t her choices. They’d been thrust upon her by people who said there was nothing else to be done. How strong could she really be if she hadn’t even been able to save her son? 

“I don’t feel strong.” She said quietly. “Sometimes I think it would have been better if we just hadn’t made it into the Vault at all.”

That shook Hancock. He knew all about feeling like the world would be better off without him. But Sage had made such a difference in the short time she’d been in the Commonwealth. She’d hit the ground running and actually done something with herself. Hancock had spent the first half of his life being a useless junkie. 

“I’m sorry, Sunshine.” He said after a minute of silence.

“What for? None of this is your fault.”

“I didn’t see how deep this cut into you. You carry that weight on your shoulders so graceful I didn’t realize how heavy it was.” He paused; He hated being nosy but he couldn’t- shouldn’t- just let this be. “You were reckless earlier. You coulda gotten cover but you didn’t, and I know you’re smarter than that. That wasn’t on purpose, right?”

“Christ, no. I’d never- I’m not-,” She swallowed and gathered her thoughts. “I was just so fucking mad and I got careless. Can’t we have one nice thing without Raiders showing up to ruin everything?” She paused again; There was more it than that but it was so hard to say. “And I- I couldn’t save my own family, not even my son. I failed them. I  _ had  _ to save this family. I needed to save them. I was going to, or I’d die trying.”

“I feel you. But you’d tell me if you were that low, right?” He couldn’t keep the worry out of his voice, not that he wanted to.  

“I- yeah, of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that to sound like I actually want to die. It just all would have been so much… easier. If we hadn’t made it in we would have died together, just like countless other families that day. We’d be just another forgotten piece of that great tragedy. Simple.” Hancock’s grip on her hand tightened. “Instead we got this clusterfuck.” 

“Sometimes it even feels like the Commonwealth would have been better off without us. Without Shaun, The Institute wouldn’t have been able to find that pristine DNA they needed for their experiments. Synths wouldn’t have come close to being the same kind of threat. They wouldn’t have had him as their Director either, so who knows what they’d have ended up doing without his leadership. It’s just- it’s so surreal that my family had such a direct, catastrophic impact on the Commonwealth.”

“You know that’s crazy, right?” Hancock said incredulously.

“What?”

“I don’t know everything the Institute was up to, but even if your son hadn’t been there  they still would’ve been up to some sketchy shit. Groups like that? It never really matters who’s in charge, they’re still gonna be assholes. They just don’t care about the world outside. But you- you care so much. I’ve never met anyone who’s done more for _ the people _ than you have. ‘Catastrophic’, my ass. You’re the best thing to ever happen to this shithole.” He paused to kiss the top of her head. “You’re the best thing to ever happen to me. And I don’t wanna hear you talking like that. I know you can’t help how you feel, but believe me when I tell you it ain’t true.”

Sage didn’t know what to say, so she kissed him. She felt like crying again, but that’s about all she’d felt like doing for the last couple days. At least she was finally getting to the point where they weren’t all tears of frustration or grief. She was just so god damn thankful. She tried to push away her compulsion to apologise for how broken she was. That wasn’t what he wanted to hear and it wasn’t what she meant.

“Thank you, John. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. How much  _ you _ mean to me. I’m sorry-” She stopped herself,”- I mean, I can’t assure you that I’m ok, because I’m not. But I’m not giving up. I think- I think we both have healing to do, and we can do that together.”

“That’s right, Sunshine. We got each other, and that counts for something.”

They lapsed into silence. It was comfortable in a way Hancock had never felt before; Too much quiet made him antsy. He usually had to fill the void with bullshit and chems, but this, this was almost serene. He could feel the beat of Sage’s heart as she leaned back against his chest. Her breath was slowing and her head was to lolling to the side, sure signs she was starting to fall asleep. Hancock wanted to enjoy the moment- to drink in the tranquility- but it was enough to make him doze off, too.

Sage jerked awake and startled Hancock from his reverie.

“Ah, Christ.” She said, squeezing her eyes shut and pinching the bridge of her nose.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I just remembered we still have to get all those supplies for Jamaica Plain, and we told them we’d be back in just a couple days.”

Hancock laughed.

“You gotta stop scaring me like that. They’ll be fine without us for a while longer. Let’s see if we can’t spend tonight not worrying about tomorrow, yeah?”

Sage gave a tired smile.

“Yeah. Thanks. I love you.”

His heart skipped a beat. It was going to take him a while to get used to her saying that.

“I love you, too. Let’s get some sleep.”

 


End file.
